While most of the speeches at the Climate Week NY°C opening ceremony were your normal diplomatic fare -- earnest with carefully chosen words -- those of TckTckTck chairman Kumi Naidoo really stood out. Though politely agreeing with the notion expressed by Tony Blair and others that we must not make the perfect the enemy of the good in Copenhagen, he went on to lay out what a future global climate deal needs to look like, regardless of the exact emission reduction targets included:

Now is the time for all of us, government, business, and civil society, to stand shoulder to shoulder, to work together to push for a deal. But far too many of our leaders seem to be sleepwalking into a crisis that is already affecting far too many people, particularly in the developing world.

While it is true and we should ensure that the perfect not be the enemy of the good [...] we cannot accept any deal in Copenhagen, but a deal that we want to see should be a FAB deal. A deal that is Fair -- that recognizes the countries and people that are least responsible for the catastrophe should be supported and that there is a sense of private justice.

A, we want an ambitious deal -- a deal that stands up to the test, the challenge that leadership calls for.

B, a deal that is binding.

Naidoo went on to say the last part is most necessary, adding that over the years we have seen deals made and treaties signed and then "ignored willfully." By binding, Naidoo stated earnestly that he means a treaty that has clear benchmarks that citizens can judge governments on.

In conclusion, Naidoo warned that civil society stands ready to praise government for climate change action but that if it fails to meet the task at hand "we will call you out...we will make it a total liability for you if you do not follow sense and you do not follow science."